By Graham Cook
Concert was recorded for upcoming CD release
SFU’s world-renowned pipe band played in New York City for the second time in its 30-year history in early May. The performance, held at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts, commemorated the pipe band’s 30th anniversary. In addition to the concert, the organization held piping, drumming, and highland dancing classes for locals during their time in the city.
Under the direction of pipe major Terry Lee, the band consists of more than 20 pipers, as well as a bass section and snare drummers. They have been able to capture six world championships and have released 10 CDs to date, including a previous recording at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. The Lincoln Centre performance will be released as their 11th CD.
A member of the band, piper Myles Stewart, spoke with The Peak about the recent concert. He stated that in the buildup to the performance, that they had to revamp nearly their entire repertoire, learning a multitude of new music. Before the trip, the pipe band held a practice concert at the Vogue Theatre in order to “get the nerves out” and ensure that everything ran smoothly on the night of the recording.
As far as the trip itself, Stewart spoke very highly of the experience. “It was awesome, I’ve never been to New York City before.” The group arrived on May 2 and spent the first two days as tourists. Then came the concert on the fourth. According to Stewart, it managed to fill up approximately 75 per cent of the Lincoln Centre, which he considered to be “pretty good for a pipe band in Manhattan.” The instructional classes were held over the following weekend, and the trip expedition concluded on Monday with one more day to take in the city that never sleeps.
